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October, 2012:

Panel says it doesn’t have authority to rule on challenge to Jackpine Mine expansion

Constitutional challenge to Shell oilsands development raised by First Nation, Metis groups

By Marty Klinkenberg, Edmonton Journal October 26, 2012

The Joint Review Panel reviewing Shell’s proposed Jackpine Mine expansion project north of Fort McMurray on Friday ruled that it does not have jurisdiction to consider a constitutional challenge raised by the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and a regional band of the Métis Nation of Alberta.

Photograph by: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg , Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell seeking to circumvent sanctions on Iran

UANI Calls on U.S., EU to Reject Royal Dutch Shell Scheme to Repatriate Iranian Oil Money Through Grain Deal

Published: October 26, 2012 

NEW YORK — United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, issued the following statement Friday in response to reports that Royal Dutch Shell is seeking to circumvent international sanctions and repay its $1.4 billion oil debt to Iran by having the U.S. agribusiness conglomerate Cargill ship Iran the equivalent amount of grain:

The U.S. and EU must not approve Royal Dutch Shell’s scheme to repay its oil debt to Iran by way of a grain shipment from Cargill. Although we support humanitarian shipments to Iran, Shell is simply trying to repatriate oil wealth to the regime and circumvent sanctions. Such a transaction is not humanitarian, and is incompatible with the current international sanctions against Iran. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell Seeks Approval To Work Around Iran Sanctions Via Barter

The proposed offset agreement creates a tricky dilemma for Britain and the United States, two of the six countries that are in negotiations with Iran to persuade it to step back from a nuclear programme they suspect is developing atomic weapons.

(Reuters) – Oil major Royal Dutch/Shell is seeking to work around international sanctions by repaying a $1.4 billion oil debt to Iran with a grain barter deal via U.S. agribusiness giant Cargill, industry sources said.

Shell wants to repay a debt that is growing larger because of unpaid interest, having failed to settle its accounts with the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) ahead of a European Union embargo on oil imports that started on July 1.

It is hoping to get clearance from U.S., UK and Dutch authorities – who will be under pressure to agree on humanitarian grounds – for an “offset agreement” that would permit it to fund Cargill to deliver enough grain to Tehran to clear the debt. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Nigeria: Shell Donates U.S.$1 Million to Flood Relief Fund

By Juliet Alohan, 26 October 2012

In a bid to help alleviate the plight of flood victims, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) has donated $1 million towards relief efforts in support of flood displaced persons in 24 states across the country.

The cash donation, according to a statement yesterday by the company’s spokesperson, Tony Okonedo, is part of Shell’s support programme to the international federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, in conjunction with the Nigerian Red Cross Society, towards effective post flood disaster relief operations in Nigeria. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Lies about Shell safety record on Corrib Gas Project?

Hi John,

I saw that you posted up the “Mayo Today” article entitled “Corrib safety clock hits three million hours mark”.

In the article Shell claim:

“The record was reached on October 4 and the workscope covered included all onshore pipeline and terminal activities, plus all offshore work managed out of Erris. This represented an incredible 833 days without a safety incident leading to a staff member or contractor having to take time off work due to injury – stretching back to June 24, 2010.” read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Nigeria loses billions in oil, gas theft

Nigeria is losing $1 billion a month to oil theft while fraudulent natural gas deals with international companies cost the country $29 billion over the past decade.

Published: Oct. 25, 2012 at 12:19 PM

LAGOS, Nigeria, Oct. 25 (UPI) — Nigeria is losing an estimated $1 billion a month to oil theft while fraudulent natural gas deals with international oil companies have cost the West African country $29 billion over the past decade, official reports say.

“The world is in the midst of a sustained oil boom. Yet Africa’s leading producer is hemorrhaging the proceeds,” the Financial Times observed Monday.

“The Nigerian treasury, which should be raking in record revenues, has been squeezed at both ends of the oil trade — upstream, by one of the biggest frauds in Nigerian history related to a fuel subsidy bill worth upward of $16 billion in 2011, and downstream, by the theft of oil of an industrial scale at source.” read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Motiva slapped with $500,000 fine arising from hundreds of environmental violations

October 24, 2012

Motiva to pay fine in refinery settlement

Motiva Enterprises LLC will pay a $500,000 fine to settle environmental violations at the company’s Norco and Convent refineries, according to a preliminary agreement with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.

The settlement includes a 45-day comment period, according to a DEQ letter to Motiva dated Oct. 3.

Motiva has until Nov. 2 to send the payment to DEQ.

The settlement stems from hundreds of violations from 2003 to 2010, according to DEQ.

Motiva admitted no wrongdoing. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell and BP accused of a price-fixing racket spanning decades

By Alex Ward Published 25 October 2012

The South African Competition Commission has called for six oil companies – Shell, BP, America’s Chevron, France’s Total and domestic producers Sasol and Engen – to stand before the South African Competition Tribunal for collusion. 

An investigation that begun in 2009 revealed that the six companies to have kept diesel prices artificially high, using the South African Department of Energy’s maximum price guideline as their benchmark.

The Commission accused the firms of “extensive exchanges of commercially sensitive information”, such as monthly fuel sales, to enable them to “track each other’s sales and to align their strategies in the market”. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell’s business ethics guidelines are a sham

John,

THE NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE Spies and Co.

As an ‘interested observer’ I would make this comment about Shell’s business operations and their unethical business practices. The US Federal government operates under the Federal Acquisition Regulation’s for the purposes of purchasing goods and services. As it happens to be, the US government requires that its providers of goods and services follow ethical business practices.

If it becomes apparent that any company/corporation/individual is not following Federal good business practices as outlined by its ethic guidelines a complaint may be filed against that company. In most instances that complaint will trigger action to bar the offending entity/corporation from doing business with the US government. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Spies and Co.

A version of this op-ed appeared in print on October 25, 2012, on page A31 of the New York edition with the headline: Spies and Co..

EXTRACT

Spying for profit continued in more recent times. In the late 1990s, the candy companies Nestlé and Mars engaged in an epic corporate war that included a confidential source nicknamed “Deep Chocolate.” Former government agents, working through a subcontractor for Nestlé, snatched garbage bags from the Mars headquarters, replacing them with dummy trash bags so the custodial staff wouldn’t catch on. Picking through coffee grounds and stale food, they found shredded documents that they were able to painstakingly reconstruct into readable corporate records. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell to Increase Participation in the Beryl Area Fields in the North Sea

Published October 25, 2012

THE HAGUE, the Netherlands, October 25, 2012 — /PRNewswire/ —

Shell announced today the signing of an agreement with Hess Corporation to acquire its interests in the Beryl area fields and the Scottish Area Gas Evacuation System (“SAGE”), for US$ 525 million.

he Beryl Area includes 12 fields located on the UK Continental Shelf. The fields are operated by Apache and with the acquisition Shell’s interest in the different fields will increase by a range of between 9-65% depending on the field. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Hess to sell Beryl assets to Royal Dutch Shell for $525 mln

Thu Oct 25, 2012 2:16am EDT

Oct 25 (Reuters) – Hess Corp said it has agreed to sell its interest in the Beryl area fields in the North Sea and the Scottish Area Gas Evacuation System to Royal Dutch Shell for $525 million.

The Beryl fields, located northeast of Aberdeen and operated by Apache Corp, produced about 14,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day net to Hess through the first nine months of 2012, the company said.

“This sale is part of our strategic portfolio reshaping,” said Greg Hill, Hess Corp’s president, worldwide exploration & production. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Chevron, BP Price-Fixing Case Referred to South Africa Tribunal

By Paul Burkhardt on October 24, 2012

South Africa’s Competition Commission has recommended the maximum penalty in a price-fixing case spanning decades that involves six companies including Chevron Corp. (CVX), Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA) and Total SA. (FP)

The regulator, which has referred the matter to the Competition Tribunal for adjudication, wants the companies to be fined 10 percent of their revenues in the preceding financial year, it said in a statement today.

The investigation “revealed collusive conduct through extensive exchanges of commercially sensitive information by the respondent oil companies,” which also include Engen (ENGN) Ltd., Sasol Ltd. (SOL), BP SA and the South African Petroleum Industry Association, or Sapia, the Pretoria-based commission said. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Nigeria oil output down 20 pct-officials

Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:58am EDT

* Flooding cuts Nigeria production by 500,000 bpd

* Shell declared force majeure on Bonny, Forcados

* NNPC says oil output around 2.1-2.2 mln bpd

By Joe Brock

ABUJA, Oct 24 (Reuters) – Nigeria has lost at least a fifth of its oil output in recent weeks due to severe flooding and oil theft, government oil officials said on Wednesday, in comments that helped push oil prices higher.

Nigeria’s oil is exported to the United States, Asia and Europe and the current disruptions estimated at 500,000 barrels per day could amount to as much as 0.5 percent of global supply.

Nigeria lost around 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil production due to severe flooding in recent weeks, an industry regulator told Reuters. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Selection of Article Links: 24 October 2012

Selection of article links supplied by a regular contributor

Study for Shell’s Jackpine Oil Sands Mine Predicts ‘Unprecedented …

Inside Climate News-Oct 22, 2012
Study for Shell’s Jackpine Oil Sands Mine Predicts ‘Unprecedented’ Losses in Animal Habitat (Edmonton Journal) · Methane Found in Drinking …

Shell’s Tar Sands Expansion Could Be Illegal

SustainableBusiness.com-Oct 22, 2012
Shell’s Tar Sands Expansion Could Be Illegal … emits triple the carbon emissions of conventional oil, while decimating its Boreal Forest. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Mark Carne leaving Shell (or booted out?)

THIS DEVELOPMENT HAS NOT BEEN ANNOUNCED PUBLICLY BY SHELL

“There must have been a power-struggle of epic dimensions for him to leave Shell the second time. I am not aware of similar career moves in the past and certainly not at his level!! Sweeping the stairs from top to bottom?”

FROM A SHELL SOURCE

John

See “restricted” internal communication today from Andy Brown concerning the pending departure of a competitor for the top job which Andy Brown now has.

You reported on your website some time ago some details about Mark Carne (photo above right):

Warning about Mark Carne of Royal Dutch Shell Plc

There must have been a power-struggle of epic dimensions for him to leave Shell the second time. I am not aware of similar career moves in the past and certainly not at his level!! Sweeping the stairs from top to bottom? read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
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